Soops cosy kitchen for kind peoples and precious pets !

Sorry to hear you've had that news maw about your husband's treatment, that's hard stuff to absorb especially when you've seen a downturn in his health lately. There's nothing like a hair cut disaster to induce mild hysteria in me, all the more annoying when I know it doesn't really matter except that it does, lots
I don't know how you're surviving all that work in the house charley, our bedroom badly needs decorating as does the guest bedroom but I'm putting it off again and again.
retrolady I can understand how you feel, a similar process is happening where I've volunteered for the last 5 years. Some paid staff are badly affected too and it seems like change for changes sake and being implemented too quickly. I think they risk losing the goodwill and skills of a lot of volunteers, and the way I feel at the moment that includes me. I hope you got some sleep after your disturbing meeting.
kitty it sounds like you're being kept really busy, please take care of yourself in the midst of it all
Well it's wet and miserable outside but not too windy yet, I think that's still to come here something to look forward too. I should get up and do something useful but on the other hand....

I nearly forgot - something that did cheer me up this morning ( despite Storm Doris lashing rain on my windows !!0.

I send a card/postcard a week to a young man who has leukaemia ( just to cheer him up a bit), he has been ill for a year and is nearly 12 years old. He messaged me yesterday as he has finally gotten home ( first time since Christmas) . He has a long road in front of him as he is not cured but just taking a break to get him healthy for the next round.

He's such a lovely young man ( he has a lady cavalier called Daisy who is Sam's crush!!)I couldn't help but smile at his delight in being home.

Makes me soooo grateful for the health of my grandkids !!

I have just installed and then unistalled instagram, so I could see the video of Judthepud2s Georgie running about. It was lovely to see.
Her back legs are wobbly but her enthusiam to play with the her ball was heartwarming. She was moving so fast. I had a little tear in my eye.

Morning all !

Lovely afternoon with the boys yesterday . Big success in little Cooper at the grand old age of 2 3/4 abandoned his armbands . His swimming is more under water than on the top but we are so proud of him. He's a bit too fearless in my opinion and we shall have to watch him like a hawk until his skills improve a bit , but that's all 4 swimming now .

On top of that both boys ate a good dinner ( not one of those days where we waste more than they eat) , so all in all one points for the grandparents

That's an expensive swim Grey . We do pay a fortune for our membership because they don't do one just for swimming. Our local council built a super pool which was used for the Olympics but there are no walk in steps , only ladders which means I cant use it .

How are you feeling Corner ? Any better?

I don't think I've ever seen a hare so I am mightily impressed by all you who have !!

I think its time to check out of home Charley and just go back when its all finished. It will be wonderful when its done , but I like you, struggle to live in a building site.

Retrolady maybe try not to worry about the whole technology thing too much. Can you ask your colleagues for help ? I'm a bit of a whizz if it helps so you can always message me if you need some help ?

Kitty I'm glad you popped in , I hope you're doing OK and get through this difficult time . Its lovely that you can support your brother , I'm sure he appreciates it.

Sorry to hear about DH Maw AND the haircut!! That is disappointing because you paid good money for it , but you can't stick back on the layers you lost. Is it bad enough for a wonderful selection of eccentric hats?

I'm just a little sad this morning. I suspected at Christmas that our 10 year old granddaughter was wavering in her belief of Santa and really only hedged her bets by saying she did. She lost a tooth yesterday and told her Mum she was hiding her tooth as a test for the Tooth Fairy as she didn't believe in her.

I love her endlessly and this IS the way of the world ,but I wanted to keep her belief in Santa, fairies ( and bang goes the Easter Bunny!!). Silly eh?

Know what you mean about your hair, mawb, it maters, it really does. I've short, very fine hair and a tiny amount too short is horrid. Yes, it will grow, doesn't help in the moment though although a week does seem to make a huge difference. You have had a lot to absorb about your husbands options, no wonder it was the last straw. Hugs coming from here too.

kitty, you know it is hard not to be concerned for you, can you delegate at least some of the tasks? Please don't try to do it all yourself, you'll be exhausted.

I remembered this morning that when we had the kitchen re-fitted in our last home I announced if it ever needed doing again we were moving. . I don't think you are fussy, charley, patience of a Saint comes to mind.

Hope this morning looks brighter, refrolady, change, eh? It will settle, let the paid Manager do the worrying, ask for help and a step at a time. Had a lot of change recently in the structure of my volunteer role, was largely OK for me as I had a hand in the changes. Harder when imposed. Hope you slept well,and that helped.

Has my first nights proper sleep. Eight uninterrupted hours. There is hope for me I think. Doris woke me, I think, howling wind, dry at the minute although that isn't expected to last. Take care all, there's a rough weather day ahead I fear.

MB, I am really sad for you and DH and am sending you a big hug. Don't be sad for me - I'm fine.

But, really, seriously - I'm extremely sad about your hair. it's the silly things that are the giddy limit, isn't it. You are right, it will grow, but you have to cope in the meantime.

MB. A virtual hug. It's depressing! Keep up the good spirits though.

"Due to damaged nerve endings" not "DIE" (and I thought I had checked! )

I have felt sad today -sad for kittylester who has been on the brink so often since her mum was first put on her "end of life" program, but for whom I have had a sneaking admiration because she was not prepared to "go gentle into that goodnight".
Sad because DH has been told that there can be no funding for the experimental heart procedure at Oxford which could have taken him off Warfarin. He was clearly also very borderline as his health has, if anything deteriorated, and given that the procedure had to be aborted last year (and failed) I suppose it is not surprising he wasn't a very good bet this year particularly in the light of the NHS cuts! However, it did give him a faint hope of an improvement.
The last straw was that my hair cut this afternoon is too short (but that will grow) and I am not going anywhere special!!
jud I caught your little clip of Georgie. She is just SO lively, which is of course good, but you might wish she could slow down a bit sometimes! I imagine the incontinence is die to damaged nerve endings atbthevtail end. As her mobilityniscreturning, it would seem reasonable to expect that will,sort itself too and the "message" will get through to her brain.
Charleygirl I hope this swanky new kitchen has been worth the mountain of cleaning you have had to do. When we had ours done all of 9 years ago, I was still,finding plasterdust in the unlikeliest places months later!
What a busy lot you all are. Hope Storm Doris does not bring you too many headaches?????

Hello everyone, just popped in after a busy day to say - isn't everyone kind? Not just in the kitchen - because I _ know_ you lot are lovely - but so many people on the main threads too. Just to say thank you all for your kindness.

We've got a lot done today and are seeing the funeral director on Friday and clearing mum's room on Saturday. My brothers and I have worked well together (at least they did as I told them) but I am concerned about my elder brother who isn't coping very well at all. We are trying to keep him busy.

Sorry to rush in and out.

Hi Everyone, Hope the kitchen is still open ... for supper maybe?
Just feeling a little delicate, fragile and like hiding away for the most ridiculous of reasons. Just been to a meeting of my volunteers group and realised that we have to do all sorts of stuff related to email security (setting up a new email account), whole new 'job' description, new Manager, etc...., etc.... I HATE technology with a vengeance and this is just overwhelming me at the moment. I guess I've just checked in here feeling sorry for myself, a little pathetic and in need of a hug and someone to say it's all going to be ok. The Husband said, "Well, you can always give it up.", which I could ... but .... but ....I enjoy what I do, just not all the guff which goes with it. Oh dear ... oh dear ... Someone please tell me to pull myself together, cheer up, get on with it - something.
Just read all of the above and it sounds like I'm full of self-pity, which I'm not, just temporarily (I hope) discombobulated. I shall now go and make my Horlicks and go to bed with a good book. Not even going to watch Corrie which The Husband recorded for me while I was at that flippin' meeting. Night night.

We have Irish hares in the fields beside us. Here is a photo from last March! We also get big flocks of curlews in there. Rooks are starting to gather and build nests in our trees ? This afternoon 3 cock pheasants were having quite a battle in the garden. Georgie got very excited! They think it is spring. I suspect Doris will cool their ardour!

Our sky has become very threatening and the wind has dropped. Known as calm before the storm! Usually hits us first when coming from the Atlantic! Keep safe everyone in the North. Off to batten down the hatches. I think we are in for a night of it!

I have had enough of the electricians for today- they left two lights on, the staircase was filthy but the resident cleaner will always oblige. I did not have access to empty Tara's litter tray and she would have had a problem getting to it. They have covered the bed in that room with furniture and stuff and I cannot get to it safely. That is where Tara sleeps so I think you know where she will end up for tonight.

I did not have access to my wardrobe in my bedroom- fine if it had sliding doors but it does not- they are bi- fold. More furniture moving. I wonder if Pickfords has a vacancy?

They do work very hard, maybe I am just fussy.

We saw the dolphins Soop, in August 2006, on our very first visit to Kintyre. I was in the caravan site shower block when I heard a lot of commotion outside, got out there, and everyone was lined up with their cameras, and of course mine was in the van, couldn`t get to it in time! We saw them again in the afternoon, coming back on the ferry from Gigha, but we never saw them again.
According to what I`ve read, Storm Doris is to create havoc in the UK tomorrow, saving her best for Scotland, so keep safe and warm Soop.

At one time, when I had to drive from King's Lynn to Wisbech to work, I would drive through apple orchards outside Wisbech and see lots of hares at this time of year. They really do box! And frolic around; presumably it's all in aid of finding a mate and procreating the next generation. They are such endearing creatures.

My goodness soop, I think all your wildlife will trump my pair of hares all day long! I envy you the eagles and the dolphins!
Weather here is on the turn too; after all the sunshine we had today the sky has suddenly becoming very dark and threatening. Doris must be on her way. But oddly, the wind appears to have dropped! Weird.

The weather is on the turn. The wind is changing direction and whipping up the sea. So far, we've had a reasonable winter. Only snow was that seen on the peaks of Jura. The forecast for the next few days, is a trifle iffy.

I have to say farewell until tomorrow. Stay snug and safe.

corner I'm sorry to hear that you remain unwell. Give the antibiotics time to kick in. If you remain feeling as you do after the completed course...please return to your GP.

I found kitty's thread a short time ago. She has had many worrying false alarms regarding her mother's health problems. It still comes as an awful shock when, having rallied repeatedly,a close family member dies. I am hoping that she has support of family. Right now she needs companionship in order to help her deal with the arrangements that must be attended to.

Greyduster Lucky you. We've seen a hare just the once. It was way up in the grassy hills of Kintyre. They are such graceful creatures. I almost treated myself to a bronze seated hare looking towards the moon. Sadly it was well over a £100 and that was that! I've never spotted a badger. I have watched otters cavorting at the mouth of the local burn. They swim in the sea to catch fish and bathe in the burn to rid themselves of salty residue. I've also seen a pair of golden eagles. About a quarter of a mile from here, at Ronnachan Point, is a large colony of seal. Oh, and we've watched a pod of dolphin swim in the Sound. That was quite an experience. At the time, I hadn't a camera close by. Such a shame.

corner do take it easy; I hope you'll be feeling better soon.

It has been a gorgeous day here, if a tad breezy. We had a walk today through the lovely valley near our house - mostly woods and farmland - and for the first time in six years, we saw hares. Big ones too. They were such a lovely sight. They are possibly my favourite countryside animal. On our way back through one of the farms I was chatting to an old chap who is the famer's retired father, and he said the place used to be overrun with them years ago, but the badgers moved in and the hares moved out. Perhaps the hares are trying to redress the balance! I hope so, much as I like badgers. I would love to see more of them.

Another weary one here. Been lurking but no energy for posting. Antibiotics send me to sleep, so very quiet. Been thinking about kitty since I saw her thread this morning, I do hope she is looking after herself as well as organising things.

Love all the needlework, wish I could do the same. No hope for me there.

I've missed the message about kitty's mum. I shall search for it.

Here I be. Home at last and feeling a tad weary. My friend and I scrolled through countless jackets...some I liked...some she thought might "do the job". In the end, I persuaded her that her favourite jacket, that has had just one outing, is perfect for showing her champion dog at Crufts. After much laughter and petting of dogs, she agreed.

Jud I highly recommend bag's needlecraft.
Georgie is a wee wonder. Take a photo of the physio when she greets Georgie for her Thursday therapy.

Tizliz Wow! I would so love a chair like the one in the photograph. I agree with Charleyg it is a work of art, created with a huge amount of love.

granniequeenie 'Gezunder' I remember my Nana having one of those. It was vast.

N&G Jackson's smile lights up the page. Both boys are blest to have such amazing grandparents.

N&G has young Jackson scoffed all of his baking? He does look very pleased with himself.

A miserable day here today but no snow as yet. I think that parts of Scotland will be unlucky.

N&G Jackson looks the king of the kitchen and no mistake! Catch 'me young that's what I say.
We are still waiting for our local pool to reopen after a large scale refurb. It was supposed to be January but will now be mid March. We've missed taking GS there during the hols. There are others but they are some distance away and very busy compared with ours. We could get to Ponds Forge by tram, but it would cost over twenty pounds for the three of us to swim and, as GS, on an off day, has been known to want to give up and come home after about half an hour, it is hardly cost effective.

Tizliz that is a stunning chair. I'm hopeless at anything that involves sewing.

Very sad news about kitty's mum. I feel for her.

Your little grandson has a gorgeous smile N&G